WINDMILL COUNTRY: Sheep, goat numbers down, but not everywhere

SAN ANGELO, Texas - The latest sheep and goat inventory report shows another drop from 2012 and previous years, yet producers are surprising pleased that numbers weren't worse.

Although the devastating and game-changing drought in the Lone Star State, historically the nation's largest sheep-producing state, caused a sudden drop in numbers, there was double-digit growth in four other states. Sheep inventory doubled in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota.

"The report is better than predicted by the economists during the 2013 American Sheep Industry Association convention last week in San Antonio," said Peter Orwick, ASI executive director. "A decrease in numbers was expected due to the worst drought in the United States in the past 50 years."

"The really great story to come out of the Texas drought is that producers across the country worked with one another to help retain the Texas genetics by purchasing or offering to lease pastures or crop share breeding animals," said Clint Krebs, of Oregon, ASI president.

All sheep and lamb inventory in the nation totaled 5.34 million head on Jan. 1, 2013. Breeding sheep inventory decreased to 3.98 million head, down 1 percent from 4 million head Jan. 1, 2012. Ewes 1 year old and older, at 3.14 million head, were 1 percent below last year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Market sheep and lambs totaled 1.36 million head, down 1 percent from last year. Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total market inventory. Twenty-three percent were lambs less than 65 pounds, 12 percent were 65-84 pounds, 22 percent were 85-105 pounds, and 37 percent were over 105 pounds. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total market inventory.

Total goat and kid inventory fell by 2 percent. All goat inventories in the U.S. on Jan. 1, 2013 totaled 2.81 million head. Breeding goat inventory totaled 2.32 million head. Does 1 year old and older, at 1.73 million head, were 2 percent from 2012. Market goats and kids totaled 490 thousand head, up 1 percent from a year ago.

The NASS report noted that the goat kid crop for 2012 totaled 1.79 million head for all goats, showing a 5 percent decline from 2011 inventory.

Meat and all other goats totaled 2.32 million head on Jan. 1, 2013, down 2 percent from 2012. Milk goat inventory was 360 thousand head, unchanged from last year.

Of interest to producers across the Edwards Plateau, where 90 percent of the nation's Angora goat business is concentrated, numbers took a major hit of 7 percent decline, totaling 136 thousand head. Mohair production last year totaled 770 thousand pounds. Goats and kids clipped totaled 136 thousand head. Average weight per clip was 5.7 pounds. Mohair price was $3.89 per pound with a value of 2.99 million dollars.

Shorn wool production during 2012 was 28.5 million pounds, down 3 percent from 2011. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 3.93 million head, also down 2 percent from 2011. The average price paid for wool sold in 2012 was $1.53 per pound for a total value of 43.6 million dollars, down 11 percent from 48.9 million dollars in 2011.

Inventory data for the U.S. sheep industry began in 1867, when there were approximately 45 million sheep in the United States. Sheep numbers peaked in 1884 at 51 million head. Since then, numbers have declined to more than 5 million head. The number of sheep operations has decline as well. Since the 1990s, sheep operations have dropped from more than 105,000 to over 80,000, as producers experienced shrinking revenues and low rates of return, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

Sheep and goat numbers, drought, feed prices and predatory problems will lead discussions when the annual Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers' Association winter meeting convenes this weekend in San Angelo.

A reception from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. today will be at the TSGRA headquarters, 233 W. Twohig Ave., said Gil Engdahl, association president.

The general session will be from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Angelo State University Management, Instruction & Research Center, 7945 Grape Creek Road, off U.S. Highway 87 North, San Angelo. Registration fee is $25 and includes a lamb lunch catered by the ASU Meats Science Group.

Jerry Lackey writes about agriculture. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net or 325-949-2291.